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Eagles, Dockers form new reserves alignments

After failing in their bid to land stand-alone reserve teams of their own, West Coast and Fremantle have agreed to alignments with WAFL clubs East Perth and Peel respectively for 2014 and beyond.

The two AFL clubs will pay $450,000 each a season for the alignments under an historic five-year deal.Under the current system, Eagles and Dockers players were spread across all nine teams in the WAFL.

But the AFL clubs were unhappy with the arrangement and wanted instead to field stand-alone reserve teams in the WAFL so they could better manage their players. That bid was unanimously rejected by the WAFL clubs, but the new deal will at least give West Coast and Fremantle a better management system over their players than the current format.

Under the new agreement, the seven non-partner clubs will have their annual grants increased from $425,000 to $525,000, while East Perth and Peel will receive grants totalling $350,000.

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Fremantle and West Coast will also have the final say in appointing the senior coach of their aligned club. Peel and East Perth will maintain their logos and names.